[Critter Truckin]

Somethings that always strike me as weird...

The Yankees are somehow given 5:1 to win the World Series. While the Mets are at 4:1, the Red Sox are in at 9:2 and my Tigers are set at 6:1.

The weird part is the Yankees. No matter how many times they choke, they are always perrenial favorites to win it all. Who just got paid off by Steinbrenner to make those odds. Also, why is it that the Mets are in at 4:1 and the only NL team to make a dent in the sportsbooks? They have bolstered a few key areas, like pitching, and are showing that they might actually hang on this year--instead of melting down like a car at a steel mill with 10 days left.

Anyway, let me know what you all think. This should be a better year than most without any of the steroid drama involved... don't get me started!!!

[GoGrammaGo]

GO
BLUE!!!

[JohnO]

[quote=Critter Truckin;236470]Somethings that always strike me as weird...

The Yankees are somehow given 5:1 to win the World Series. While the Mets are at 4:1, the Red Sox are in at 9:2 and my Tigers are set at 6:1.

The weird part is the Yankees. No matter how many times they choke, they are always perrenial favorites to win it all. Who just got paid off by Steinbrenner to make those odds.



Well it ain’t Jimmy the Greek rest his soul.

When you continually make the playoffs as the Yankees do every year the spread will be close.

Just because George was convicted for illegal contributions under election laws doesn't mean he would have points spread reworked.

Shame on you for casting doubt on the good name of baseball...lol

[dabluzman1]

GO TRIBE !!!!!!!!

I'll give 'em 10 to 1.
Hey and nobody paid me nuthin.
Go Figure.

[OntarioVanMan]

Baseballs alot like Hollywood, Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll......overpaid fatbutts, with expansion most woldn't make original roster...And false advertizing of "WORLD" series!!! Let the Japanese in and then it can be called World. It isn't the Grand ole game anymore...just a money sucker like Capitol Hill.

[Turtle]

Baseball is, actually, a lot like Hollywood, in the same sense that both are the entertainment business. But overpaid? Overpaid in relation to what? To what you and I make at our jobs?
Is Tom Cruise overpaid because he makes $20 million for a movie that grosses $240 million?


Is an author overpaid when he gets $2 a book that sells just 10,000 copies? What about if the book sells 1 million copies? At what point does he become over paid?

If the average line haul for freight was $18 a mile, would you be overpaid if you got $11 a mile to haul it, or would you prefer a buck a mile in order to not be overpaid?

Very few people realize that the vast majority of professional baseball players cannot afford their own home, because they don't make enough money. Huh? What? Not enough money?!?!

The vast majority of professional baseball players do not play in the Major Leagues, they toil in the Minor Leagues getting paid only for the time they are playing. Rookie and Short-Season Class-A ballplayers get $850 a month. It's a 4-month season. Regular Season (6 months) Class-A players get $1100 a month, Class-AA players get $1500 a month, and Class-AAA players get $1500 a month. A significant number of players play in the Independent Leagues, like the Frontier League, where they get paid $500 a month or less (the Florence Freedom in Florence, KY is one such team, I'm sure you've seen the stadium as you've passed by it on I-75).

The Grand Ol' Game is alive and well in community parks, high schools, colleges, Minor and Independent leagues. In places like Florence, Billings, Toledo, Cedar Rapids, and Charlotte. More than a million people a year play baseball. Yet, in any given year there are about 15,000 professional baseball players on the 245 Minor League teams affiliated with the Major League club, as well as in the Independent Leagues. Every kid in Rookie Ball was the best player in his high school. Every one of them. You have to be pretty good to even get to the lowest level of professional baseball. But, less than one percent of those will make it to the Major Leagues.

The top 750, the elite of the elite, the top one percent of all of these baseball players make it to The Show, to the Big Leagues, where the big money is. But are they overpaid? The players aren't getting paid more money that's in the pot, that's for sure. It's a big pot. It's just a matter of scale for the top one percent.

And even at that scale, it's a matter of what the market will bear. The average salary of an MLB player is just a tad under $3 million, but that number is greatly skewed by just the top 25 salaries. For every Alex Rodriguez making $23 million a year, there are half a dozen Jeff Keppinger's making $350,000.

$350,000 sounds like a lot of money, and it is, but by the time an agent takes 20% and the IRS takes their half, it's not as much as you might think. You have to be really good, for a long time, in order to get paid the league average salary. Or, you have to be able to take the game by storm and be a superstar out of the gate. Those are the ones we hear about, the A Rods and the Jeters and the Mannys.

The Grand Ol' Game is alive and well. Whether the front of your uniform says Pizza Hut, the Dayton Dragons, the Traverse City Beach Bums or the New York Yankees, it's still the same game between the white lines, and you gotta play the game. The hardest thing to do in sports is to hit a round ball with a round bat squarely, no matter how much you get paid.

"Hey batter, batter, batter. Swing batter!"

[OntarioVanMan]

Well this particular market of regular family can't bear the market when it goes almost 200 bucks to take my family to "The Grand Ole game"

I understand about market and TV revenue...buts who pays? The Fan....It used to be for the love of the game....and about the fans in the stands....not anymore....

We go to the minor sports park for a buck ahead 99 cent popcorn and watch the juniors play...At least they run it out to first and hustle the bases afraid not to break a nail or muss thier hair for the TV cameras.

[RichM]

I have to agree with Ken on this one. I go to 2-3 games a year to watch the Jacksonville Suns play. They are a double a team in the Dodgers organization. For a $20 bill I get a ticket,parking,a hot dog and 2 beers. Try that in Dodger stadium.

[arkjarhead]

I agree with Ken and Rich. Except my team is the Memphis Redbirds. They are a AAA team in the Cardinals ball club. Only thing is I don't get a hot dog at them game. That is against a true Redbirds fan's religion. You have to hit up the Corky's stand for bar-b-que nachos. Those guys go out there everynight and play their hearts out. You can tell they want it.

My algebra teacher at the community college used to pitch for the Mets' minor league team in Tidewater,VA. I thought that was pretty cool.

[Turtle]

I'm a Reds fan, but more than that I'm a baseball fan. I've seen many more Minor League and Independent League games than I have MLB games. The Major Leagues is The Show, it's all about the Stars. The Minor Leagues is all about the game. One of my favorite places to watch baseball is in Billings, Montana. It's pure baseball, and it's a rookie league.

Marion, IL just started playing Independent League baseball this past year. In the Frontier League. Every home game was sold out. Every one of them. Same thing in Dayton with the Single-A Dayton Dragons, rarely is a game not sold out or very near capacity. If you live in Dayton, it's a choice between a 5 minute drive and pocket change to see the Dragons, or a 45 minute drive and a day's pay to see the Reds.

But there are cheap seats at many of the MLB parks. As long as the coolers will fit under your seats, you can bring in your own food and drinks, too.

[buckeyewildman]

so what are the odds on my beloved REDS

[Turtle]

The Astros have taken a giant leap backwards, the Brewers are stumbling, the Cardinals are fluttering off their perch, and the Pirates are adrift and floundering. (sometimes I crack myself up). I think it's between the Cubs and the Reds, with the slight edge, at least on paper, going to the Cubs. But, the Reds have that Wild Card in Dusty Baker. He's out to prove he can quickly take a team from worst to first again, especially if he can bag a bear Cub in the process.

Plus, the Reds suddenly have a glut of pitching, all of it a lot better than people think. There are 2 or 3 young kids that are good enough to make the starting rotation that won't because of Harrang, Arroyo, Fogg and probably Belisle. Afeldt will get every opportunity to take the remaining spot. Bailey, Cueto and Volquez will either start the season in Louisville for the short term, or one or all of them may end up breaking camp as long relievers instead of starters. On the backend we've got Cordero for the 9th and Weathers and Burton for the 7th and 8th. There are easily 14 or 15 pitchers that can make the 12 man pitching squad. That's a far cry from recent years. I'm liking this Krivsky dood.

The very first hit by a Red in Spring Training was by Jay Bruce. There's got to be an omen in that. He may start the season in AAA, but he won't be there for long. Hopper and Freel, flip a coin. Votto made a sick play at first the other day, he's ready.

One downside is Gonzalez was just diagnosed with a compression fracture in his left knee. He'll be re-evaluated in three weeks, which means crutches until then, and depending on how serious it is, either 3 weeks to 6 months of rehab to regain movement, assuming no knee replacement. But, Keppinger can slide right in there and take his spot.

Put me in coach, I'm ready to play.

[Jack_Berry]

now how can you say that the true blue brew crew are out of it before the season starts? are you expecting dusty to peak in year one at the new team again again? why the cubs have played one game and jason marquis is demending to be put on the starting rotation or trade me. and lou said....see ya, as his response in the press. don't expect the brewers to go power drain again for 90 days like they AND the cubs did in 2007. no i expect the brewers to win the central and i am not a fan.

my poor old misguided cub fan mother(she is 87 at seasons end) was euphoric that the cubs beat the giants so handily on day one. i did not ask how many of the starters for each team played. i know its one at bat and done and let the rookies play.

and i join the others above in supporting the class a and independant league brand of beisbol. i would rather have a double porkchop sandwich and a sam adams for 6 bucks at the kane county cougars than an oscar meyer hotdog and a hamms, uh er bud at wrigley. PLUS ni can buy a gen admin seat in kane cty and move to the boxes after the third inning and get a chance at a foul ball.

baseball, its just too long a season.

[Tennesseahawk]

Did Barry Bonds retire? I was hoping he'd sign a rookie card I have...

[Jack_Berry]

that is so sick it is funny.

i think bb is waiting for someone to sign him.